Parousia: Unwrapping His Presence

Word of the Week

November 30, 2024

Parousia: Unwrapping His Presence

 

You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

James 5:8 NASB

As Christmas draws near, kids all over America start fantasizing about the arrival of Santa Claus with his bag of presents.  The older brothers and sisters have figured out that Dad eats the cookies that they leave out for Santa, but the toddlers are expecting something magic!

Christ’s kids of all ages are looking something even better when Jesus shows up on earth again – not His presents, but His presence.

Jesus promised that He would come back some day, and we can trust Him to keep His promises.  The Bible is filled with the details of His return, but we can at least begin to explore His plans by looking at one of the major Greek words used to describe His second coming.

The Greek word is Parousia [pah-roo-SEE-ah].  Occurring 24 times in the New Testament, this term is usually translated “presence, arrival, coming.”  Sometimes it emphasizes the moment when a person arrives on the scene; sometimes it stresses the continuing stay that ensues.

Parousia can describe the normal comings and goings that happen in daily life.

• Paul was encouraged by the arrival of several friends from Corinth (1 Corinthians 16:17).
• He was relieved by the arrival of Titus with good news about the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 7:6-7).
• The apostle even mentioned his critics’ barb: “His letters are weighty and strong but his presence [Parousia] is unimpressive (2 Corinthians 10:10).

In classical Greek, parousia was the word used to describe an official visit to a city by a king or emperor.  We are impressed by the logistics involved today in a visit by the President, but the news that the Roman emperor was coming to town could set off a remarkable flurry of preparations.  City officials would schedule lavish banquets, purchase huge stocks of wine, hire donkeys to haul the baggage, set their orators to work writing speeches.  Repair crews would fix potholes.  Entire new buildings were sometimes constructed, and extra holidays were added to the calendar.  Cities like Corinth might mint a special edition of coins with the emperor’s image.  And, of course, special taxes were often levied to pay for the expense.  A Parousia was a big event!

This pales by comparison with the coming of Jesus Christ, the central parousia of the New Testament.  We can make several observations about this event.

1. Even Christ’s first coming was a parousia. Peter says he “made known to you the power and coming [parousia] of our Lord Jesus Christ,” linking it to the Transfiguration (2 Peter 1:16).  When Jesus stood on the mountain shining like the sun, it was clear that the King had arrived.
2. Christ’s second coming is often depicted as a time of judgment, a time when Christ sweeps aside His enemies and takes the throne of the earth.

It is the time when the lawless one will come to an end (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

It is like the Flood which swept away all the wicked (Matthew 24:39).

It will be obvious to all, just as a lightning strike is visible (Matthew 24:27).

It is the time when “the heavens will be destroyed” (2 Peter 3:12).

3. Christ’s return involves several aspects, including His coming for His people, dead and alive, who will be caught up to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:15).

Theologians carry on lively debates about the precise sequence of events connected with Christ’s return, and the discussions go far beyond a single word study.

However, several items come clearly into focus:

• We must wait eagerly for His return. According to Peter, we are “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God (2 Peter 3:12).
• We must wait patiently for His return. James reminds us that the farmer has to wait patiently for the seeds to ripen; in the same way, we cannot make God’s plan go any faster than He chooses (James 5:7-8)
• We must wait in readiness for His return. John exhorts us to “abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not draw back from Him in shame at His coming (1 John 2:28).

The best part of Christ’s promise is the fact that His parousia is not just a quick arrival, like Santa’s midnight jaunt down the chimney. No, when it is complete, we will enjoy His presence forever.  As 1 Thessalonians 4:17 points out, “so we will always be with the Lord.”

It’s not just a matter of unwrapping presents; it’s an eternity to unfold the glory of His presence!

 

Study Hint:

Would you like to delve more deeply into the timelines of prophecy?  Here are all of the passages where the word Parousia occurs.  Study not only the verses themselves, but the context of each one.

Matthew 24:3, 27, 37, 39; 1 Corinthians 15:23; 16:17; 2 Corinthians 7:6-7, 10:10; Philippians 1:26; 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 8, 9; James 5:7-8; 2 Peter 1:16; 3:4, 12) 1 John 2:28.

 

Coming Up

We have just looked at one of the key words for prophetic truth.  Next week, we will review one of the other important terms for the future, a word that forms the title of a New Testament book.

©Ezra Project 2024